For a person living with a disability or for elderly individuals, especially those in wheelchairs or scooters, a double door entry to a home, such as a main door and a screen or storm door, presents a major obstacle. To exit the home, one must first move forward to open the inner door, then move backwards to fully open the inner door, move forward again to open the outer door and lock it in an open position, move backwards again to reach the inner door, move for ward past the threshold again to close the inner door, and then move further out the clear the outer door and unlock it to allow it to return to its closed position. Going back into the home presents a similar challenge, overcome through a reversed sequence of the above operations. Entering or exiting the home while carrying groceries or the like introduces additional steps in the sequence to free up one or both hands and later recollect the items before finally closing both of the doors. Known devices for holding one of the two doors in an open position, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,302 to Crawford for example, are of minimal help as they still require completion of the full sequence of steps above.
Despite this difficulty, it may still be desirable for disabled individuals to keep the double door configuration in place for their home. Screen doors allow airflow into the home to efficiently regulate temperature while keeping insects and debris out. Storm doors can also protect foe main door from damage. The second door may further add an extra level of security, discouraging intruders by providing an additional barrier to entry. Homeowner associations or other regulations may also prohibit removal of the second door or removal may be too cumbersome for the disabled individual.
One possible solution to assist the physically disabled in traversing the double door entryway of their home includes an automated door actuator that can move a hinged door between its closed and open positions. One example of an automated door opener is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,120 to Current, hereby incorporated by reference. Such openers typically utilize a rotary drive screw to power an arm link that is pivotally attached to the door. Some door operators, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,374 to Rohroff, utilize improved arm configurations to reduce the mechanical force required to open the door. The Rohroff device also discloses the use of rollers in contact with the door. There are also known door opening devices that utilize remotely controlled opening devices such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,545 to Ingham and U.S. Pat. No. 6,891,479 to Eccleston.
Automated door openers to date, however, all provide a means for actuating a single door. For double door configurations where a main door and a secondary door are installed within the same doorway, due to space limitations, it would be difficult or impossible to install a second door operator within the same doorway. In light of the foregoing, there is a need for an improved door actuator that allows for simultaneous operation of a set of opposing doors, addressing the needs of the physically disabled or elderly.
The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.